Study Questions: The Sermon on the Mount #3
Jesus, Our Fulfillment
Sermon on the Mount (CGS#3)
Matt. 5:17-20
INTRODUCTION: There is an age-old question that lingers in the hearts of all people, “Can I save myself?” Of course, we don’t all ask this question in the same way. Sometimes, we ask, “Am I a good person?” Or we say things like, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” These all get at the question of salvation. Whether that idea of salvation is rooted in moral works, i.e., being a good person. Or that the idea of salvation is rooted in maximizing pleasure in the temporary nature of life on this earth. We are all looking for salvation of some sort, and we all wonder if we are sufficient enough to achieve it on our own. The key word in that sentence is, achieve. Synonyms of achieve include words like earn, attain, reach, win, and gain. We’ve all used words like this to describe what we’ve done or accomplished in our lives. – “I won the game.” “I earned a degree.” “I achieved my goal.” None of these statements are inherently bad, but they are not nearly as sufficient as our hearts make them out to be. And that is exactly Jesus’ point in his discourse about righteousness in Matt. 5:17-20.
See, the crowd that Jesus is speaking to would have been primarily Jewish. Their primary worldview would have been focused on religious and moral works as the basis of the means of salvation. Remember, Jesus is giving this sermon on a mountainside in Galilee. The crowd listening to Jesus wanted to know what they needed to do for salvation. Jesus answered them, though he challenged their preconceptions. He gives them four statements in these four verses that will throw everything they thought they knew into question. Well, to be fair, that started the moment he began with the beatitudes back in verse one.
- Statement #1 – Do not think/misunderstand what I am bout to say. (v. 17)
- Statement #2 – I came to fulfill the law. (v. 17)
- Statement #3 – The law stands and is to be obeyed. (v. 19)
- Statement #4 – Your righteousness must exceed the most righteous to gain eternal life. (v.20)
For us, these statements might feel benign or what we’d expect from Jesus. For them, they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Here is Jesus, two years into his public ministry doing things no other proclaimed messiah had done, and now he’s teaching in an authority that no other religious teacher has ever taught with. But he’s teaching the wrong things. Especially that last statement. How could their righteousness ever exceed the Scribes and Pharisees? That is impossible! And they are correct. See, Jesus’ words here teach them and us something important. Our desire for salvation is not wrong, but we are totally insufficient to reach or achieve our salvation in any way. In fact, that is all that the law can do. It points out our need, and we are needy people! Thankfully, there is one who can fulfill all of the demands of the law and bridge the gap of our disobedience and sin, Jesus. That is what he says in statement #2. There was no one more righteous in their society than the religious elite, and the people knew that. But they had one standing in front of them that was surpassingly more righteous and far greater than even the most righteous Scribe or Pharisee. Yes, obedience to the law matters because our obedience flows out of our love for God. Jesus doesn’t dilute the standard. Instead, he will give his life so that we might have life. He will put his surpassing righteousness on us so that we can be called righteous by God. None of this is achieved by us. Instead, it is received by grace and made possible because of Christ’s death on the cross and victorious resurrection. The crowds are confused on the mountainside, but we can see the message of grace and the provision of love of Jesus in his words, especially in the light of the empty tomb. We are needy people, and Jesus meets our ultimate need. Thanks be to God!
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. Have you ever received a truly unmerited gift in your life? If so, how did it make you feel? If not, what would it mean to you if you had?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
- How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Have you enjoyed him? Have you heard his voice and the leading of his Spirit? Big ways or small ways.
- What about Jesus’ words in this passage stand out to you? How do they challenge you? How do they encourage you?
- As Christians, we can talk about grace with our lips but act in a very different way with our lives. Are there any ways in which you default to earning God’s love and favor?
- Jesus doesn’t relax the law. Are there any commands from God that you find yourself not taking seriously or justifying? What need are you trying to meet when you do that, and how can Jesus meet that need for you?